The Incredible Hulk

The Incredible Hulk
Rated PG-13
114 Minutes
Nicole’s Rating: C+

I honestly didn’t want to see this film because of the disaster footage from the 2003 film, but it was the only thing that was playing at Dollar Theater that Heather and I didn’t twinge at. I must admit, it was a lot better than I expected.

Even if you didn’t see the previous movie, you get the idea of what happened with Bruce Banner within the opening credits, which is usually a good review for people that have a hard time remembering the previous film…that would be me. I think I tried to purge that catastrophe out of my head honestly. At first I was skeptic to Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, but he pulled it off well. As for the love interest played by Liv Tyler, eh…there were a couple of scenes that felt out of place with her, but overall you can fell the chemistry that she has for her lost love. I personally thought the best main character was William Hurt, the cracking old military general who always wants something bigger and better only to lose everything. But it was the onscreen cameos that enlightened the film with Lou Ferrigno, who played the Hulk in the TV series and Robert Downey Jr. making his 2nd appearance of the summer as Tony Stark. I love that character!

As much as the CGI improved from it’s predecessor, it still could have used more work, but considering that a good portion of the film was CGI, they get by with it. With the film having so much CGI, I thought that this movie may have done a better job as a 3D film or even fully animated. And my biggest beef with Marvel and their special effect department is that they need someone that is in charge of getting ratio and portions correct. It seems like that with each scene, the Hulk was different sizes; no consistency. The cinema-photography and art direction was great. There were only a couple of shots that could have used a bit more background, but there were some angles and scenery placements that turned out almost perfect.

This film was entertaining and a fun flick to see with others who enjoy a cheesy action film. If you were disappointed with the first film, I highly suggest seeing this one to get more out of the characters.